JULY S.L.A.M.er of the Month-Anchorage OG!!

Hi! I’m Jenny Smith and I have been a part of SLAM Anchorage since Katie had her opening day In June 2017! I’m originally from Montana. I met my husband at the University of Montana, where we both competed on the Track and field team as javelin throwers.  Looking for adventure we moved to Anchorage in 2009 when my husband  took a job with the U.S. public health service and I with Indian Health Services. I’m currently juggling being a working mommy. I’m a pediatric RN, where you will find me working in the PICU, NICU and most recently Pediatric Sedation.

My Husband and I were married in 2015, after 12 years of dating and welcomed our first baby, Aspen (now 18mos) in January  of 2017.

In my free time you can find me enjoying the outdoors in Alaska, hiking, biking. skiing. Ice skating, running and camping. Just trying to raise my daughter as a true Alaskan baby!

I have always tried to be somewhat of an active person throughout my life. So I didn’t want that to change when I was pregnant.  I tried to continue outdoor activities that we enjoyed doing and attending exercise classes at the YMCA. As I got further into my pregnancy, finding it harder to keep up, I found myself longing for more. I wanted to be surrounded by people in the same boat. I searched for prenatal group exercise classes in anchorage and came up empty handed.

As a new mom to a baby born in the middle of a dark, cold Alaskan winter I was struggling. Not only  to find time to get out of the house for a good workout, but struggling to find this new self as a full time mommy and Part-time working mom. I found myself browsing facebook for activities to get us out of the house. I saw Katie’s event page for her opening day of Stroller Strong Moms (which I had never heard of at the time) and thought that it sounded awesome.) After attending that first day of SLAM I was hooked! It was everything I was looking for and more! I won a free months pass that day and I couldn’t wait to use it.

I feel so blessed to have met Katie and SSM during this point in my life and postpartum period. I started attending when Aspen was 5 months old. I left each class a sweaty mess and couldn’t wait to come back for more. My first run postpartum I could barely make it a mile. A few months later Katie talked me into running on a marathon relay team. Fast forward a year later, I’m training to run my first half marathon.

I truly love everything about SSM. I love working out with an awesome group of strong, kind hearted, motivating and all around amazing women. I love that we workout outside with our kids in the in the fresh Alaskan Air (with moose and bears)! I love that I can be a strong and healthy role model for my daughter.

This awesome tribe that I stumbled upon one year ago has changed my postpartum journey and I thank SSM and Katie for that!